The present invention relates to an electronic device with connector, and more particularly to an electronic device with connector used in automobile or the like.
An electronic device with connector is, for example, a rotational angle sensor for detecting the rotation extent of a steering wheel of an automobile. Such electronic device with connector is electrically connected with the car body side through a connector, and used in various detections and controls.
Such conventional electronic device with connector is explained below while referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
FIG. 7 shows a side sectional view of a conventional electronic device with connector, and FIG. 8 is its perspective exploded view. In FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the electronic device with connector comprises a connector 1, a wiring board 3, plural electronic parts 4, a box case 6, and plural terminals 2. The connector 1 is made of an electric insulating resin. This connector 1 has a box housing 1A, an inner bottom 1B, and a mounting unit 1D. The box housing 1A has an upper opening. The plural terminals 2 are inserted in the inner bottom 1B, projecting in the vertical direction. The mounting unit 1D is formed at the left side of the housing 1A, projecting in the direction orthogonal to the projecting direction of the terminals 2. This mounting unit 1D has a tightening hole 1C.
The plural electronic parts 4 are mounted on the wiring board 3. The terminal 2 in the lower direction of the connector 1 is soldered and connected to the wiring board 3, and a screw 5 is tightened to the tightening hole 1C from beneath. Thus, the connector 1 is fixed to the wiring board 3.
The wiring board 3 is put in the box case 6, and the wiring board 3 is fixed to the case 6 by a screw 7. The upper opening of the case 6 is covered with a lid 8. The housing 1A of the connector 1 is projecting upward from the lid 8. In this way, the electronic device with connector is composed.
A manufacturing method of such conventional electronic device with connector is explained. Plural electronic parts 4 are mounted on the wiring board 3. Plural terminals 2 are blanked out into a specified shape one by one from a conductive metal plate. Each terminal of the plural terminals 2 is pressed into a terminal hole in the inner bottom 1B of the connector 1. The terminal 2 in the lower direction is soldered to the wiring board 3 on which the plural electronic parts are mounted.
From beneath the tightening hole 1C, the screw 5 is tightened, and the connector 1 is fixed to the wiring board 3. This wiring board 3 is fixed to the case 6 by the screw 7. The upper opening of the case 6 is covered with the lid 8, and this lid 8 is fixed to the case 6 by a screw or the like. Thus, the electronic device with connector is completed.
In the conventional electronic device with connector, however, since the connector 1 is fixed to the wiring board 3 by the tightening hole 1C of the mounting unit 1D projecting from the side of the housing 1A, the area of the connector 1 occupying the wiring board 3 is large. It was hence difficult to reduce the size of the entire electronic device. Further, when detaching the connector 1 from the connector unit mounted on the car body, the detaching force is applied to the wiring board 3. As a result, stress is applied to the wiring pattern of the wiring board 3 and mounted electronic parts 4. The conventional electronic device with connector had these problems.
An electronic device with connector of the invention comprises:
(a) a case having an opening,
(b) electronic parts and a wiring board installed in the case,
the electronic parts being mounted on the wiring board,
(c) a connector plug body fixed to the case,
the connector plug body having a terminal and a base,
the terminal having an upper terminal projecting in upper direction from the base, and a lower terminal projecting in lower direction from the base, and
the lower terminal being electrically connected to the wiring board, and
(d) a lid disposed in the opening of the case,
the lid having a connector housing, and
the upper terminal projecting into the connector housing,
in which the base is fixed to the case, and thereby the connector plug body is fixed to the case.
Preferably, the case has a connector fixing part projecting from the inner bottom of the case, the connector fixing part is positioned in lower direction of the connector housing, the base is fixed to the connector fixing part, and thereby the connector plug body is fixed to the case.
Preferably, the connector housing is formed integrally with the lid.
A manufacturing method of electronic device with connector of the invention comprises:
(a) a step of forming a a case having an opening,
(b) a step of forming a lid having a connector housing,
the connector housing formed integrally with the lid,
(c) a step of forming a wiring board,
(d) a step of mounting electronic parts on the wiring board,
(e) a step of forming a connector plug body having metal terminals and resin base by insert-forming of metal material by using resin material,
(f) a step of connecting the terminals electrically to the wiring board,
(g) a step of fixing the connector plug body to the case by fixing the resin base to the case, and
(h) a step of installing the lid in the opening of the case.
Preferably, the case has a connector fixing part projecting from the inner bottom of the case, and the step (g) and step (h) include a step of fixing the base to the connector fixing part, so that the connector fixing part may be positioned in lower direction of the connector housing, and thereby the connector plug body is fixed to the case.
In this configuration, the area of the connector occupying on the wiring board is decreased. Further, the electronic device with connector is reduced in size. Moreover, stress is hardly applied on the wiring board 3 when detaching or attaching the electronic device with connector. Still more, the manufacturing cost is lowered.